Black Widow
07-14-2008, 07:37 PM
It has been another great weekend to be at home here in Norman and not have to run to the airport Sunday to fly to the city hosting Monday night Raw. As I have mentioned in the past, being able to stay at home on football weekends or travel to OU road games is going to be a blessing for this gridiron fan. Plus, not having a clear cut favorite NFL team, I will get to enjoy the NFL Sunday ticket, except for PPV weekends, virtually the entire season. Life is good.
Our new J.R.’s BBQ opening is just around the corner and the excitement is growing. If you are in our neck of the woods any time soon please stop by and check the new place out. Again, we are located on the west side of I-35 at exit 116 in Moore, Oklahoma. We will open at 11 a.m. daily. I plan on trucking over to the restaurant after returning from Charlotte Wednesday morning. Let’s hope American Airlines is running on schedule.
Yours truly is planning on hooking up with "The Naitch" Monday night in Charlotte at some point. If I have an "off night" on Smackdown, I can "blame" it on Ric. :) Please keep us in your thoughts as Monday night in Charlotte could be a doozy.
In reading about the ongoing, seemingly never ending tale of woe that is the beleaguered Hogan family, I’m just curious but why do rich people need so many homes? Perhaps because they can?
Speaking of the Hogan’s, I guess it is the season for divorce as A-Rod, Madonna, Christie Brinkley, Greg Norman, and apparently The Hulkster have all been stung by the divorce issues or rumors. Lots of money is getting ready to change hands especially for the barristers of the divorce world. Golfer Norman’s ex is getting over 100 Million Dollars which would buy her a bunch of J.R.’s Beef Jerky and Sauce.
Pro wrestlers are independent contractors and therefore are responsible for many of their road expenses while traveling in North America. This is not that unusual as I am sure many others including traveling entertainers such as rock bands, comedians, and others have to cover their own road expenses as well. Point being is that these expenses are viable if they are used in tax preparation as these numbers come off the bottom line of one’s tax returns. That is for the wrestlers who actually file tax returns. One can make a valid argument that all wrestlers should be full time employees of their respective employers which I would endorse but I also don’t know all the legal issues or costs involved in accomplishing such. It may not happen in my life time but it would not surprise me to see many pro wrestlers made full time employees of their companies.
Perhaps an even more important matter than the independent contractor vs. employee status is the schedule of some wrestlers. The schedule of today is much more manageable than in years past but that doesn’t make it a day at the beach. Independent contractors can create their own retirement plans and tax shelters, etc but having more time to recharge one’s batteries might be the most significant , positive change the biz could bring about. However, there are some guys who complain about being "off" so sometimes in these matters its "damned if you do and damned if you don’t". Pro wrestling will never have a "season" but I already see that many athletes are working fewer days and are still able to make a great living.
I was thinking at one time about reading the book "Ring of Hell" but after reading several reviews of it and how overtly negative it apparently is, how the author seemingly talks down to wrestling fans, and how inaccurate it is on numerous occasions, I’m taking a pass.
I have no dog in the fight whether or not Jesse Ventura runs for the United States Senate or not as I live in Oklahoma and not Minnesota but I wish this matter would come to closure Sooner than later. Like my dad would say, do your business or get off the can, to put it in more acceptable terms for this forum. For the record, I do think that Jesse would be a voice that would definitely be heard in Washington D.C. which might be a good thing. Our country needs to begin distancing itself from "professional politicians" as partisan politics are the kiss of death for this country, in my opinion. How can any of us truly trust professional politicians who are deeply rooted in the "good old boy" system of partisan politics. Much like wrestlers, Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on what to have for lunch much less what is truly best for America no matter how it affects one’s political party.
It’s hard to believe that Brock Lesnar just turned 31. It just seems like yesterday when I saw him as a college Junior at the University of Minnesota wrestling for Coach J. Robinson. Lesnar’s upcoming UFC fight in Minneapolis should be a good one and the card looks strong. Even though Brock’s pro wrestling experience may not be some of his fondest memories, I still consider him one of the best athletes ever signed by the WWE. I am also a Lesnar MMA fan and will be watching his next PPV and pulling for him to earn an impressive victory of which he needs to do to take a step forward in becoming the "Next Big Thing" in the MMA world.
Let me assure you that the Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho match at the Great American Bash will be tougher than a $2 steak to follow. I do not envy whomever does and if I had to wager what bout it would be I would probably suggest either Mark Henry vs. Tommy Dreamer or Natalya vs. Michelle McCool.
Another point about the Great American Bash (GAB) is what match will kick off the evening in the Nassau Coliseum? The match that sets the tone for the night is so important to hopefully get things started off correctly and to get the live audience to invest early in the proceedings. I will never forget having a long talk with distraught Eddie Guerrero at a WWE PPV because he was in the first match of the night. Eddie looked at it as an insult which is understandable considering his background and old school values. However, Eddie eventually understood how important his role was for that particular show but without question if an athlete doesn’t want to "close the show" they should seek another vocation. Of course the argument can be made that if it is pay per view, so what does it matter what match starts the show because the promotion already has the customer’s cash? I think it does matter how the show starts and the earlier the momentum can be established the better. If wrestlers can’t follow the preceding match then they shouldn’t be booked.
Back to Ric Flair, I read on the ‘net where Ric was being advertised to appear at Tuesday’s Smackdown taping in his hometown of Charlotte. My money is that this Flair sighting will not be on the broadcast but for the fans in the arena only. But then again, I could be wrong.
Charlotte holds many memories for yours truly especially after Jim Crockett Promotions bought out Bill Watts’ UWF and I started traveling to the Carolina’s and doing TV in the Mid Atlantic territory. Then not long after the purchase of the UWF, ego and stupidity caused the management to destroy their newly purchased asset and never exploit the potential of a NWA vs. UWF rivalry.
Poor Kane. There is no telling what sort of trouble he will incur for over using pronouns on last Monday’s Raw as in "is ‘HE’ dead or alive?" Who in the hell is "HE"??
"Informed sources"…"close to the decision makers"…"who once were former creative staff members"…"whose cousin once worked in catering"…have reported that Jerry Lawler’s face is still battered and bruised from ramming it into Kane’s large fist last Monday.
On WWE 24/7, my personal favorite late night TV programming, they are featuring some matches with Killer Kowalski and what makes it so interesting is that one of the bouts is a 6 man tag from the Dallas Sportatorium in the 60’s featuring Kowalski and teammates Ray Gunkel and Reggie Lisowski who later became known to AWA fans as "The Crusher". This match was on film with a one camera shoot and was announced by famous wrestling voice, Ves Box, plus my old referee mentor Leo Voss was one of the 3 referees for the match. Mr. Moto, Duke Keomuka, and George "The Zebra Kid" Bollas, who was once managed by the Great Moolah, were the opposition. When a member of a team lost, he was eliminated but did not have to leave the ring apron. Strange. There’s another Kowalski match featuring a young (20 something) Cowboy Jack Lanza, with plenty of hair and a helluva right hand, along with Jack Pesek of the famous Pesek family of wrestlers from Omaha vs. The Killer in a handicap match. This was one of the damnedest presentations I have seen for a handicap match ostensibly to feature Kowalski. BTW Jack Pesek once played college football at Nebraska and held the Big 7 punting record for a time. When I refereed some of Pesek’s matches bear the end of his career his nickname was "Whiskey Jack" and what a story teller he was on long, road trips. Jack Lanza stopped teaching school to become a full time wrestler before eventually teaming with Blackjack Mulligan and the duo was managed by Bobby Heenan and formed a helluva combination. All three of the aforementioned are now in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Yeah, I really like WWE 24/7 and that’s not hyperbole or shilling.
Indeed I look for this Friday Night’s Smackdown to be one of the more unique broadcasts of the year especially if it features a "nuptial theme" of some sort. Weddings, cakes in general and returning to one’s home town is always, seemingly, a recipe for disaster. :)
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.
Our new J.R.’s BBQ opening is just around the corner and the excitement is growing. If you are in our neck of the woods any time soon please stop by and check the new place out. Again, we are located on the west side of I-35 at exit 116 in Moore, Oklahoma. We will open at 11 a.m. daily. I plan on trucking over to the restaurant after returning from Charlotte Wednesday morning. Let’s hope American Airlines is running on schedule.
Yours truly is planning on hooking up with "The Naitch" Monday night in Charlotte at some point. If I have an "off night" on Smackdown, I can "blame" it on Ric. :) Please keep us in your thoughts as Monday night in Charlotte could be a doozy.
In reading about the ongoing, seemingly never ending tale of woe that is the beleaguered Hogan family, I’m just curious but why do rich people need so many homes? Perhaps because they can?
Speaking of the Hogan’s, I guess it is the season for divorce as A-Rod, Madonna, Christie Brinkley, Greg Norman, and apparently The Hulkster have all been stung by the divorce issues or rumors. Lots of money is getting ready to change hands especially for the barristers of the divorce world. Golfer Norman’s ex is getting over 100 Million Dollars which would buy her a bunch of J.R.’s Beef Jerky and Sauce.
Pro wrestlers are independent contractors and therefore are responsible for many of their road expenses while traveling in North America. This is not that unusual as I am sure many others including traveling entertainers such as rock bands, comedians, and others have to cover their own road expenses as well. Point being is that these expenses are viable if they are used in tax preparation as these numbers come off the bottom line of one’s tax returns. That is for the wrestlers who actually file tax returns. One can make a valid argument that all wrestlers should be full time employees of their respective employers which I would endorse but I also don’t know all the legal issues or costs involved in accomplishing such. It may not happen in my life time but it would not surprise me to see many pro wrestlers made full time employees of their companies.
Perhaps an even more important matter than the independent contractor vs. employee status is the schedule of some wrestlers. The schedule of today is much more manageable than in years past but that doesn’t make it a day at the beach. Independent contractors can create their own retirement plans and tax shelters, etc but having more time to recharge one’s batteries might be the most significant , positive change the biz could bring about. However, there are some guys who complain about being "off" so sometimes in these matters its "damned if you do and damned if you don’t". Pro wrestling will never have a "season" but I already see that many athletes are working fewer days and are still able to make a great living.
I was thinking at one time about reading the book "Ring of Hell" but after reading several reviews of it and how overtly negative it apparently is, how the author seemingly talks down to wrestling fans, and how inaccurate it is on numerous occasions, I’m taking a pass.
I have no dog in the fight whether or not Jesse Ventura runs for the United States Senate or not as I live in Oklahoma and not Minnesota but I wish this matter would come to closure Sooner than later. Like my dad would say, do your business or get off the can, to put it in more acceptable terms for this forum. For the record, I do think that Jesse would be a voice that would definitely be heard in Washington D.C. which might be a good thing. Our country needs to begin distancing itself from "professional politicians" as partisan politics are the kiss of death for this country, in my opinion. How can any of us truly trust professional politicians who are deeply rooted in the "good old boy" system of partisan politics. Much like wrestlers, Democrats and Republicans can’t agree on what to have for lunch much less what is truly best for America no matter how it affects one’s political party.
It’s hard to believe that Brock Lesnar just turned 31. It just seems like yesterday when I saw him as a college Junior at the University of Minnesota wrestling for Coach J. Robinson. Lesnar’s upcoming UFC fight in Minneapolis should be a good one and the card looks strong. Even though Brock’s pro wrestling experience may not be some of his fondest memories, I still consider him one of the best athletes ever signed by the WWE. I am also a Lesnar MMA fan and will be watching his next PPV and pulling for him to earn an impressive victory of which he needs to do to take a step forward in becoming the "Next Big Thing" in the MMA world.
Let me assure you that the Shawn Michaels vs. Chris Jericho match at the Great American Bash will be tougher than a $2 steak to follow. I do not envy whomever does and if I had to wager what bout it would be I would probably suggest either Mark Henry vs. Tommy Dreamer or Natalya vs. Michelle McCool.
Another point about the Great American Bash (GAB) is what match will kick off the evening in the Nassau Coliseum? The match that sets the tone for the night is so important to hopefully get things started off correctly and to get the live audience to invest early in the proceedings. I will never forget having a long talk with distraught Eddie Guerrero at a WWE PPV because he was in the first match of the night. Eddie looked at it as an insult which is understandable considering his background and old school values. However, Eddie eventually understood how important his role was for that particular show but without question if an athlete doesn’t want to "close the show" they should seek another vocation. Of course the argument can be made that if it is pay per view, so what does it matter what match starts the show because the promotion already has the customer’s cash? I think it does matter how the show starts and the earlier the momentum can be established the better. If wrestlers can’t follow the preceding match then they shouldn’t be booked.
Back to Ric Flair, I read on the ‘net where Ric was being advertised to appear at Tuesday’s Smackdown taping in his hometown of Charlotte. My money is that this Flair sighting will not be on the broadcast but for the fans in the arena only. But then again, I could be wrong.
Charlotte holds many memories for yours truly especially after Jim Crockett Promotions bought out Bill Watts’ UWF and I started traveling to the Carolina’s and doing TV in the Mid Atlantic territory. Then not long after the purchase of the UWF, ego and stupidity caused the management to destroy their newly purchased asset and never exploit the potential of a NWA vs. UWF rivalry.
Poor Kane. There is no telling what sort of trouble he will incur for over using pronouns on last Monday’s Raw as in "is ‘HE’ dead or alive?" Who in the hell is "HE"??
"Informed sources"…"close to the decision makers"…"who once were former creative staff members"…"whose cousin once worked in catering"…have reported that Jerry Lawler’s face is still battered and bruised from ramming it into Kane’s large fist last Monday.
On WWE 24/7, my personal favorite late night TV programming, they are featuring some matches with Killer Kowalski and what makes it so interesting is that one of the bouts is a 6 man tag from the Dallas Sportatorium in the 60’s featuring Kowalski and teammates Ray Gunkel and Reggie Lisowski who later became known to AWA fans as "The Crusher". This match was on film with a one camera shoot and was announced by famous wrestling voice, Ves Box, plus my old referee mentor Leo Voss was one of the 3 referees for the match. Mr. Moto, Duke Keomuka, and George "The Zebra Kid" Bollas, who was once managed by the Great Moolah, were the opposition. When a member of a team lost, he was eliminated but did not have to leave the ring apron. Strange. There’s another Kowalski match featuring a young (20 something) Cowboy Jack Lanza, with plenty of hair and a helluva right hand, along with Jack Pesek of the famous Pesek family of wrestlers from Omaha vs. The Killer in a handicap match. This was one of the damnedest presentations I have seen for a handicap match ostensibly to feature Kowalski. BTW Jack Pesek once played college football at Nebraska and held the Big 7 punting record for a time. When I refereed some of Pesek’s matches bear the end of his career his nickname was "Whiskey Jack" and what a story teller he was on long, road trips. Jack Lanza stopped teaching school to become a full time wrestler before eventually teaming with Blackjack Mulligan and the duo was managed by Bobby Heenan and formed a helluva combination. All three of the aforementioned are now in the WWE Hall of Fame.
Yeah, I really like WWE 24/7 and that’s not hyperbole or shilling.
Indeed I look for this Friday Night’s Smackdown to be one of the more unique broadcasts of the year especially if it features a "nuptial theme" of some sort. Weddings, cakes in general and returning to one’s home town is always, seemingly, a recipe for disaster. :)
Boomer Sooner!
J.R.